Light-emitting diode chip

Abstract

A light-emitting diode chip comprising:—a semiconductor body ( 1 ) having a plurality of active regions ( 2 ), wherein—at least one of the active regions ( 2 ) has at least two subregions ( 21 . . . 28 ),—the active region ( 2 ) has at least one barrier region ( 3 ) arranged between two adjacent subregions ( 21 . . . 28 ) of said at least two subregions ( 21 . . . 28 ),—the at least two subregions ( 21 . . . 28 ) emit light of mutually different colour during operation of the light-emitting diode chip,—in at least one of the subregions ( 21 . . . 28 ) the emission of light is generated electrically, and—the barrier region ( 3 ) is configured to hinder a thermally activated redistribution of charge carriers between the two adjacent subregions ( 21 . . . 28 ), is specified.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A light-emitting diode chip comprising:
 a semiconductor body having a plurality of active regions, wherein 
 at least one of the active regions has at least two subregions, 
 the active region has at least one barrier region arranged between two adjacent subregions of said at least two subregions, 
 the at least two subregions emit light of mutually different colour during operation of the light-emitting diode chip, 
 in at least one of the subregions the emission of light is generated electrically, 
 the barrier region is configured to hinder a thermally activated redistribution of charge carriers between the two adjacent subregions, 
 the active regions have a direction of main extension, 
 at least some of the active regions are spaced apart from each other in a direction which runs lateral with respect to the direction of main extension or at least some of the active regions partly touch each other in the lateral direction, 
 the active regions are nanostructures and at least one of the active regions has a maximum diameter of 1000 nm and an aspect ratio of at least 3, 
 the subregions are arranged along the direction of main extension of their active region and exactly one barrier region is arranged between each pair of adjacent subregions, 
 each subregion is based on a nitride compound semiconductor material comprising indium and based on an (Al,In,Ga)N, in particular an InGaN, semiconductor material, 
 each barrier region is based on at least one nitride compound semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the subregions adjoining the barrier region, 
 each barrier region is based on GaN or AlInGaN or InGaN, and 
 each barrier region is thinner in the direction of main extension of the active region than each subregion. 
 
     
     
       2. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the active regions have a direction of main extension, and 
 at least some of the active regions are spaced apart from each other in a direction which runs lateral with respect to the direction of main extension or at least some of the active regions partly touch each other in the lateral direction. 
 
     
     
       3. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the subregions are arranged along the direction of main extension of their active region and at least one barrier region is arranged between each pair of adjacent subregions. 
 
     
     
       4. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the active regions are nanostructures and at least one of the active regions has a maximum diameter of 1000 nm and an aspect ratio of at least 3. 
 
     
     
       5. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each subregion is based on a nitride compound semiconductor material comprising indium, in particular based on an InGaN semiconductor material. 
 
     
     
       6. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each barrier region is based on at least one nitride compound semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the subregions adjoining the barrier region. 
 
     
     
       7. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each barrier region is based on GaN or AlInGaN or InGaN. 
 
     
     
       8. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in at least two subregions of the at least one active region the emission of light is generated electrically, and 
 a tunnel junction is arranged between two electrically driven subregions. 
 
     
     
       9. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the barrier region between the two electrically driven subregions is employed as the tunnel junction. 
 
     
     
       10. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in a first subregion of the at least one active region the emission of light is generated electrically and in a second subregion of the same active region and adjacent to the first subregion the emission of light is due to optically pumping by light of the first subregion. 
 
     
     
       11. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the active region forms a light-guide which guides the light of the first subregion along the direction of main extension to the second subregion. 
 
     
     
       12. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 11 , wherein
 a thick barrier region is arranged between the first subregion and the second subregion, 
 the thick barrier region has a thickness of at least 100 nm, 
 the thick barrier region is based on a semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the first and the second subregions adjoining the thick barrier region, and 
 an electrically conductive material is applied to a side facet of the thick barrier region, wherein the first subregion is electrically contacted via the electrically conductive material. 
 
     
     
       13. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 at least one of the active regions is configured to emit white light. 
 
     
     
       14. The light-emitting diode chip according to  claim 1 , wherein
 at least one of the active regions has a subregion which is configured to emit white light. 
 
     
     
       15. A method for producing a light-emitting diode chip comprising the following steps:
 epitaxial growth of a semiconductor body having a plurality of active regions, wherein 
 at least one of the active regions has at least two subregions, 
 the active region has at least one barrier region arranged between two adjacent subregions of said at least two subregions, 
 the at least two subregions emit light of mutually different colour during operation of the light-emitting diode chip, 
 in at least one of the subregions the emission of light is generated electrically, 
 the barrier region is configured to hinder a thermally activated redistribution of charge carriers between the two adjacent subregions, 
 the active regions have a direction of main extension, 
 the active regions are spaced apart from each other in a direction which runs lateral with respect to the direction of main extension, 
 the subregions are arranged along the direction of main extension of their active region and at least one barrier region is arranged between each pair of adjacent subregions, 
 the active regions are nanostructures and at least one of the active regions has a maximum diameter of 1000 nm and an aspect ratio of at least 3, 
 each subregion is based on a nitride compound semiconductor material comprising indium, in particular based on an InGaN semiconductor material, 
 each barrier region is based on at least one nitride compound semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the subregions adjoining the barrier region, 
 in at least one first subregion of the at least one active region the emission of light is generated electrically and in at least one second subregion of the same active region the emission of light is due to optically pumping by light of the first subregion, 
 the active region forms a light-guide which guides the light of the at least one first subregion along the direction of main extension to the at least one second subregion, 
 at least one of the active regions is configured to emit white light, and 
 at least one of the active regions has a subregion which is configured to emit white light. 
 
     
     
       16. A light-emitting diode chip comprising:
 a semiconductor body having a plurality of active regions, wherein 
 at least one of the active regions has at least two subregions, 
 the active region has at least one barrier region arranged between two adjacent subregions of said at least two subregions, 
 the at least two subregions emit light of mutually different colour during operation of the light-emitting diode chip, 
 in at least one of the subregions the emission of light is generated electrically, 
 the barrier region is configured to hinder a thermally activated redistribution of charge carriers between the two adjacent subregions, 
 in a first subregion of the at least one active region the emission of light is generated electrically and in a second subregion of the same active region and adjacent to the first subregion the emission of light is due to optically pumping by light of the first subregion, 
 a thick barrier region is arranged between the first subregion and the second subregion, wherein 
 the thick barrier region has a thickness of at least 100 nm, 
 the thick barrier region is based on a semiconductor material having a greater band gap than the first and the second subregions adjoining the thick barrier region, and 
 an electrically conductive material is applied to a side facet of the thick barrier region, wherein the first subregion is electrically contacted via the electrically conductive material.